Jeremiah 2
New American Standard Bible
Judah’s Apostasy
2 Now the word of the Lord came to me, saying, 2 “Go and (A)proclaim in the ears of Jerusalem, saying, ‘This is what the Lord says:
“I remember regarding you the [a](B)devotion of your youth,
Your love when you were a bride,
(C)Your following after Me in the wilderness,
Through a land not sown.
3 Israel was (D)holy to the Lord,
The (E)first of His harvest.
(F)All who ate of it became guilty;
Evil came upon them,” declares the Lord.’”
4 Hear the word of the Lord, house of Jacob, and all the families of the house of Israel. 5 This is what the Lord says:
“(G)What injustice did your fathers find in Me,
That they went far from Me,
And walked after (H)emptiness and became empty?
6 They did not say, ‘Where is the Lord
Who (I)brought us up out of the land of Egypt,
Who (J)led us through the wilderness,
Through a land of deserts and of pits,
Through a land of drought and of [b]deep darkness,
Through a land that no one crossed
And where no person lived?’
7 I brought you into the (K)fruitful land
To eat its fruit and its good things.
But you came and (L)defiled My land,
And you made My inheritance an abomination.
8 The (M)priests did not say, ‘Where is the Lord?’
And those who handle the Law (N)did not know Me;
The [c]rulers also revolted against Me,
And the (O)prophets prophesied by Baal
And walked after (P)things that were of no benefit.
9 “Therefore I will still (Q)contend with you,” declares the Lord,
“And I will contend with your sons’ sons.
10 For (R)cross to the coastlands of [d]Kittim and see,
And send to (S)Kedar and observe closely,
And see if there has been anything like this!
11 Has a nation changed gods,
When (T)they were not gods?
But My people have (U)exchanged their glory
For that which is of no benefit.
12 Be appalled at this, (V)you heavens,
And shudder, be very desolate,” declares the Lord.
13 “For My people have committed two evils:
They have abandoned Me,
The (W)fountain of living waters,
To carve out for themselves (X)cisterns,
Broken cisterns
That do not hold water.
14 “Is Israel (Y)a slave? Or is he a servant born in the home?
Why has he become plunder?
15 The young (Z)lions have roared at him,
They have [e]roared loudly.
And they have (AA)made his land a waste;
His cities have been destroyed, without inhabitant.
16 Also the [f]men of (AB)Memphis and Tahpanhes
Have [g]shaved (AC)your head.
17 Have you not (AD)done this to yourself
By your abandoning the Lord your God
When He (AE)led you in the way?
18 But now what are you doing (AF)on the road to Egypt,
Except to drink the waters of the [h](AG)Nile?
Or what are you doing on the road to Assyria,
Except to drink the waters of the Euphrates River?
19 (AH)Your own wickedness will correct you,
And your (AI)apostasies will punish you;
Know therefore and see that it is evil and (AJ)bitter
For you to abandon the Lord your God,
And (AK)the fear of Me is not in you,” declares the Lord [i]God of armies.
20 “For long ago [j](AL)I broke your yoke
And tore off your restraints;
But you said, ‘I will not serve!’
For on every (AM)high hill
And under every leafy tree
You have lain down as a prostitute.
21 Yet I (AN)planted you as a choice vine,
A completely faithful seed.
How then have you turned yourself before Me
Into the (AO)degenerate shoots of a foreign vine?
22 Although you (AP)wash yourself with lye
And [k]use much soap,
The (AQ)stain of your guilt is before Me,” declares the Lord [l]God.
23 “(AR)How can you say, ‘I am not defiled,
I have not gone after the (AS)Baals’?
Look at your way in the (AT)valley!
Know what you have done!
You are a swift young camel (AU)running about senselessly on her ways,
24 A (AV)wild donkey accustomed to the wilderness,
That sniffs the wind in her passion.
Who can turn her away in her mating season?
None who seek her will grow weary;
In her month they will find her.
25 Keep your feet from being bare,
And your throat from thirst;
But you said, ‘(AW)It is [m]hopeless!
No! For I have (AX)loved strangers,
And I will walk after them.’
26 “Like the shame of a (AY)thief when he is discovered,
So the house of Israel is shamed;
They, their kings, their leaders,
Their priests, and their prophets,
27 Who say to a tree, ‘You are my father,’
And to a stone, ‘You gave me birth.’
For they have turned their (AZ)backs to Me,
And not their faces;
But in the (BA)time of their [n]trouble they will say,
‘Arise and save us!’
28 But where are your (BB)gods
Which you made for yourself?
Let them arise, if they can (BC)save you
In the time of your [o]trouble!
For (BD)as many as the number of your cities
Are your gods, Judah.
29 “Why do you contend with Me?
You have (BE)all revolted against Me,” declares the Lord.
30 “(BF)In vain I have struck your sons;
They did not accept discipline.
Your (BG)sword has devoured your prophets
Like a destroying lion.
31 You generation, look to the word of the Lord.
Have I been a wilderness to Israel,
Or a (BH)land of thick darkness?
Why do My people say, ‘(BI)We are free to roam;
We will no longer come to You’?
32 Can a virgin forget her jewelry,
Or a bride her attire?
Yet My people have (BJ)forgotten Me
For days without number.
33 How well you prepare your way
To seek love!
Therefore even to the wicked women
You have taught your ways.
34 Also on your skirts is found
The (BK)lifeblood of the innocent poor;
You did not find them (BL)breaking in.
But in spite of all these things,
35 You said, ‘I am innocent;
Surely His anger is turned away from me.’
Behold, I will (BM)enter into judgment with you
Because you (BN)say, ‘I have not sinned.’
36 Why do you (BO)go around so much
Changing your way?
Also, (BP)you will be put to shame by Egypt,
Just as you were put to shame by (BQ)Assyria.
37 From this place as well you will go out
With (BR)your hands on your head;
For the Lord has rejected (BS)those in whom you trust,
And you will not prosper with them.”
Footnotes
- Jeremiah 2:2 Or faithfulness
- Jeremiah 2:6 Or the shadow of death
- Jeremiah 2:8 Lit shepherds
- Jeremiah 2:10 I.e., Cyprus and other islands
- Jeremiah 2:15 Lit given their voice
- Jeremiah 2:16 Lit sons
- Jeremiah 2:16 Lit grazed
- Jeremiah 2:18 Heb Shihor
- Jeremiah 2:19 Heb YHWH, usually rendered Lord
- Jeremiah 2:20 Or you
- Jeremiah 2:22 Lit acquire much soap for yourself
- Jeremiah 2:22 Heb YHWH, usually rendered Lord
- Jeremiah 2:25 Or desperate
- Jeremiah 2:27 Or evil
- Jeremiah 2:28 Or evil
耶利米书 2
Chinese Contemporary Bible (Simplified)
以色列人背弃上帝
2 耶和华对我说：
2 “你去告诉耶路撒冷人，
‘耶和华说，
我记得你们年轻时对我充满热情，
爱我如新娘爱新郎，
跟随我穿越旷野，
穿越不毛之地。
3 以色列是耶和华的圣民，
是属于祂的初熟果子。
吞吃它的必担当罪责，
大祸临头。
这是耶和华说的。’”
4 雅各家啊，以色列各宗族啊！你们要听耶和华的话。 5 耶和华说：
“你们的祖先在我身上找到什么过错，
以致他们远离我，
去追随虚妄的神明，
使自己变得虚妄呢？
6 他们从不自问，
‘耶和华曾把我们带出埃及，
引导我们走过沙漠纵横、
深坑满布、干旱幽暗、
杳无人迹的旷野，
祂如今在哪里呢？’
7 我带领你们进入肥沃之地，
享受那里富饶的物产。
但你们一进来，就玷污我的地，
使我的产业成为可憎之地。
8 众祭司从来不问‘耶和华在哪里？’
执掌律法的不认识我，
首领背叛我，
先知靠巴力说预言，
随从无用的假神。
9 因此，我要指控你们和你们的后代。
这是耶和华说的。
10 你们去对岸的基提看看，
派人去基达仔细观察一下，
看看有没有这样的事？
11 虽然列国的神明根本不是真神，
却没有一国更换自己的神明。
但我的子民却把自己荣耀的上帝换作了无用的假神。
12 诸天啊，要因此而震惊战栗、
大感凄凉。
这是耶和华说的。
13 因为我的子民犯了两项罪，
他们离弃了我这活水源泉，
为自己挖了不能蓄水的破池子。
14 “以色列是奴隶吗？
是生来为奴的吗？
为什么她竟成了别人的猎物呢？
15 敌人像狮子般向她咆哮吼叫，
使她的土地一片荒凉，
她的城邑一片废墟，杳无人烟。
16 以色列啊，
挪弗人和答比匿人打破了你的头颅。
17 你这不是自食其果吗？
因为你的上帝耶和华一路引导你的时候，
你却背弃祂。
18 现在，你去埃及喝尼罗河的水有什么用呢？
你去亚述喝幼发拉底河的水有什么用呢？
19 你必因自己的罪恶而受惩罚，
因自己的背叛而受责备。
因此，你要省察且明白，
背弃你的上帝耶和华、
不敬畏我是多么邪恶、痛苦。
这是万军之耶和华说的。
20 “很久以前，我折断你的轭，
解开你的捆索，
你却拒绝事奉我，
在各高岗上、绿树下躺卧淫乱。
21 你原本是我栽种的上等葡萄树，
是最好的品种。
你怎么自甘堕落，
变成了野葡萄？
22 纵然你用碱和许多肥皂清洗，
你在我面前仍然罪迹斑斑。”
这是主耶和华说的。
23 “你怎能说，
‘我没有玷污自己，
也没有随从巴力’？
看看你在山谷中干的勾当，
想想你的所作所为。
你是一只发情的母骆驼，
烦躁不安，跑来跑去。
24 你是一只习惯在旷野生活的母驴，
求偶心切时便呼呼喘气，
发情时谁也控制不了。
公驴找你不费工夫，
在你发情的时候很容易找到你。
25 我说，‘不要因追随假神而跑破鞋子，喉咙干渴。’
你却说，‘不行！
我爱外族的神明，一定要跟随他们。’
26 “以色列人啊，
你们和你们的君王、官长、
祭司和先知必蒙羞，
如同被擒的盗贼。
27 你们认木头为父，
认石头为母。
你们不是面向我而是背对我，
危难时却向我求救。
28 你们为自己造的神明在哪里呢？
危难时让他们救你们吧！
“犹大人啊，你们神明的数目与你们的城邑一样多！
29 “你们为什么指控我呢？
你们都背叛了我。
这是耶和华说的。
30 我责打你们的儿女，却是徒劳，
因为他们不受管教。
你们杀害你们的先知，
残暴如狮子。
31 这世代的人啊，
要留心听耶和华的话。
对以色列人来说，
难道我是旷野，
是幽暗之地吗？
为什么我的子民竟说，
‘我们可以四处游荡，
不再追随你’？
32 少女会忘记她的首饰吗？
新娘会忘记她的礼服吗？
我的子民却早已把我抛诸脑后。
33 “你们真善于求爱啊！
甚至把技巧教给妓女。
34 你们的衣服沾满无辜穷人的血，
他们并没有进你们的家偷窃。
35 你们还说，‘我们是无辜的，
耶和华不再向我们发怒。’
看啊，我必审判你们，
因为你们拒不认罪。
36 你们为什么这样忽东忽西地变来变去呢？
你们投奔埃及必蒙羞辱，
就像从前投奔亚述一样。
37 你们必灰头土脸地离开埃及，
因为耶和华弃绝了你们的靠山，
你们从他们那里必得不到帮助。”
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